Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/157

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army of (a>neral Lee. and at Spottsylvania Court House in the same command he met and defeated P>urnside. Again he struck that commander an efifective Idow at Hethesda C'hurch in the tnovrniciit to Cold Harbor, and after the battle at the latter place he made two attacks upon General (^i rant's right flank.

On May 31. 1863. he was comm'..-^ioned lieutenant-general and soon afterward de- tached upon the important duty of defend- ing the Confederate rear threatened by Hun- ter at Lynchburg. He promptly drove Hunter into the mountains and then marched ra])idly down the Shenandoah Val- ley, crossed into Maryland and defeated Wallace at Alonocacy. and with a force re- duced to about eight thousand men. was about to assault the defences at Washing- ton when the city was reinforced by two corps of Federal troops. Retiring safely into Virginia, he was on active duty in the val- ley in order to injure the Federal communi- <ations and keep as large a force as possible from Grant's army. Finally Sheridan was sent against him with an overwhelming force, against which Lieutenant-General Early made a heroic and brilliant resistance at Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. He then established his rrmy at New Market, and after Sheridan had retired from the vallev he fell back to Staunton. When the arm.y surrendered, he rode horse- back to Texas, hoping to find a Confederate force still holding out. Thence he proceeded to Mexico, and from there sailed to Can- ada. Subsequently returning to Virginia he resumed his law practice for a time, but in his later years spent a third of the year At New Orleans.

(The Hair.'slon Line).

i'eter Hairston. the emigrant as known in the family, left Scotland after the battle of Cullcxlen. 1746. having fought on the losing side, that of the Pretender. He fled to Ireland, remained there for a short period of time, and about 1747-48 came to America, landing at Norfolk. Virginia, according to tradition, no authenticated records being in possession of his descendants. He seems to have held land in Albemarle county but finall} settled in Bedford county. He was the father of six children: i. Peter, will re- corded in Bed-Vird county. \'irginia, 1779. 2. Samuel, member of the house of bur


gesscs ; accumulated property; left will in Campbell county ; one of the first justices of the peace in Campbell county; known as Major or Colonel Samuel Hairston; never married. 3. Andrew, married and had three daughters. 4. Robert, see forward. 5. Agnes, died at sea. 6. Martha, married a Mr. Shel- by, of Maryland, of the family afterward distinguished.

Robert Hairston, son of Peter Hairston. was an ensign in the French and Indian wars, and served one term in the house of lepresentatives. He married Ruth Stovall, (-.lughter of George Stovall, clerk of the bouse of burgesses. Children: i. George, married Mrs. Elizabeth Perkins, nee Let- cher. 2. Peter, married Alice Parkins. 3. Samuel, see forward. 4. Sarah, married May 8. 1772, Baldwin Roland. 5. Martha, married (first) a Mr. Hunter, (second) James Greenlea. 6. Elizabeth, married, June 20. 1778. Michael Roland. 7. Mary, mar- ried a Mr. Smith. 8. Ruth, married Wil- liam Turnbull. 9. Jeannie, married Joshua Renfro. 10. Agnes, married John Woods.

C'»l(niel Samuel Hairston, son of Robert and Ruth (Stovall) Hairston, married Jud- ith Saunders. Children: i. Robert, married Elizabeth Woods. 2. Mary, married John Callawey. 3. Ruth, married Colonel Joab Early (see Early). 4. Peter, married Ruth Hairston, a cousin. 5. George, married Mar- tha Smith. 6. Elizabeth, died young. 7. Ann Agnes, married Marshall Hairston. 8. Samuel, married Elizabeth Hairston. 9. Latitia. married Thomas \\'atkins.

(The Clayton Line).

The coat-of-arms of the Clayton family is as follows : Argent, a cross engrailed sable between four torteaux. Extract from "The Duchy of Lancaster," "The township of .-Xd- lington is in the parish of Standish : the manor and great part of the estates thereon now (1779) belong to the ancient and re- spectable family of Clayton."

Thomas Clayton, descended from tht- Claytons of Clayton Hall, county of York, or Clayton Hall, county of Lancaster, Eng- land, married Agnes, daughter of ThorneU, of Fixby, county of York. England. Chil- dren : I. A son. who died young. 2. Wil- liam, see forvxard. 3. , from whom

Thomas Clayton, now of Clayton Hall, county of York, England, is descended.

\\'illiam Clayton, of Okenshaw, county of